Phoenix Rising - First Meeting
by lynnwiley
Summary: Lily and James Potter gave birth to twins, Hera (fem!Harry) and Charlus. Fearing Hera to be a dark creature, they place her with the Dursleys and hide her existence from the rest of the magical world. Rescued by the Flamels, Hera is soon placed with her new family, the Cullens. This is the introduction story of the series I've developed based on Hera's life. Future EC/HP


**Disclaimer: **I do not own the rights to anything in the Harry Potter or Twilight worlds… and most likely never will.

**Summary:** This is the first in a series of AU stories - Lily and James Potter gave birth to twins, Hera (fem!Harry) and Charlus. Fearing Hera to be a dark creature, they abandon her, leaving everyone to believe that Charlus was an only child. Rescued by the Flamels, Hera is soon placed with her new family, the Cullens, where she meets her future mate Edward and grows up loved and happy.

I'm not certain where (or if) Voldemort will fit into my universe, but right now I wish to focus on Hera's adventures growing up with vegetarian vampires.

**Before you send me flames:** Edward is **not** a pedophile. He will not have any sexual feelings towards Hera until she is of age… and even then will most likely not act on them until they're married. He's Edward, for crying out loud!

Phoenix Rising – First Meeting

From the first moment he gazed into her big green eyes, Edward Cullen was lost. The child looked to be barely three years old. Shoulder length inky black hair lay haphazardly against skin so pale, it rivaled his own. Emerald green feathered wings, the exact same color as her eyes, fluttered nervously behind the little girl as she eyed the family of vampires with mistrust. A tiny thumb found its way into the baby's mouth a moment before she shyly hid her face against Perenelle's shoulder.

Forgetting to keep up the pretense of breathing, the tawny-haired immortal whispered the word that had been resonating within his unbeating heart ever since he caught sight of the toddler. "Mine."

Shocked silence swept through the room as most recognized the fact that the lonely vampire had finally found his mate. As always, Emmett was the first to react. "No way!" The burly vampire was grinning from ear to ear, prompting everyone else to break out their own smiles. Decades of Edward wondering if he'd ever find his perfect match were finally at an end and his family couldn't be happier for him.

The years he would now spend waiting for his chosen to come of age would be nothing compared to the century spent desperately seeking her.

Alice squealed with excitement as she and Rosalie shared a giddy look. The sudden sound of jubilation startled the baby, prompting Edward to softly growl at his sisters in warning. Esme and Carlisle smiled indulgently at their son before Nicolas showed the family into the sitting room. Perenelle carried the toddler in and gently set her down on a soft nest of pillows beside a pile of toys in the corner. She then joined her husband on the loveseat opposite their guests.

Edward smiled gently at the toddler who kept stealing glances at the strangers as she hugged a stuffed unicorn whose horn kept changing colors. Jasper nudged his fascinated brother, teasing him.

Nicolas grabbed his wife's hand. "Carlisle, my old friend, I must say how wonderful it is to see you again. I only wish the circumstances that led me to seek you out were more pleasant."

The Cullen patriarch frowned in concern. "What circumstances are those Nicolas? Your letter was very vague."

"First of all, let me introduce you to this little cutie here," he gestured to the small child. "Her name is Hera Jasmine Potter. She was born to Lily and James Potter three years ago this July along with a twin brother."

Esme gasped and covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my, did something happen to her family?"

Perenelle scowled. "No… it would have been less tragic if that were the case." Her husband consoled her by rubbing her shoulders. "Apparently the famous Potter tolerance for all magical creatures does not extend to their offspring." Nicolas glared fiercely. "James and Lily proudly befriended a werewolf, but as soon as they saw this little one's developing wings in Lily's ultrasound they hid her away like a shameful secret. I'm not sure if anyone in the magical community other than ourselves, their healer, and Albus Dumbledore even knows of her existence."

Edward bristled at the thought of a werewolf anywhere close to little Hera, and outright growled as the alchemist finished speaking. The assumption of Hera being anything less than a source of pride was preposterous. He felt an intense urge to hold the child and protect her from everything in the world that would seek to harm her emotionally or physically.

Jasper squirmed as the intense feelings of rage and disgust filled the room. "But why? Creature inheritances, while not exactly common, do happen in most magical families from time to time and are usually accepted." The blonde glanced at the baby as she emitted a feeling of frustration when she couldn't reach a certain block before the toy responded to Hera's wishes and flew to her. He smiled at her triumph before continuing his previous thought. "In fact, according to some books I've read it's a common belief that magical creatures are inherently more powerful than normal witches and wizards and are therefore seen as a great source of pride to their families."

Edward smiled smugly, prompting his siblings to snicker briefly.

Perenelle took a sip of her tea and nodded. "That is true. However some families are less welcoming of those races which are considered too light or too dark to fit with the perceived image of their line. For example, the Lestrange family is notoriously dark in nature and the current head of house would not be likely to welcome a newborn royal elfling anytime soon, despite the power they hold."

The alchemist agreed with his wife. "The head of the Potter family, which has been as light as can be for perhaps its entire existence, panicked when he produced what the great Albus Dumbledore thought was a harpy."

Everyone's thoughtful gazes fell to the tiny brunette in the corner who was quietly stacking alphabet blocks in what appeared to be an attempt at creating a stable for her unicorn. Alice smiled and waved at her when she looked up at the silence in curiosity. "You said he 'thought'… does that mean you don't think she's a harpy then?"

Nicolas chuckled. "Oh she's definitely not a harpy. Not that we would care if she were, as I've befriended a few of them over the centuries and have found them to be a delightful and oft misunderstood species… not unlike vampires. No… Mr. Albus 'Too Big for His Britches' Dumbledore clearly needs to improve his researching skills."

"Hera's actually a phoenix," Perenelle added when her husband trailed off in thought.

Rosalie smirked at the love-struck look Edward donned and knew this baby was going to grow up spoiled. "I don't understand. I thought phoenixes were birds with red and gold coloring."

"That is very true, my dear," Nicolas said as he focused his attention once more on his guests, "but there is also a humanoid race with the same name which shares many traits with the avian species. Though I have never before had the pleasure of meeting one, my library does have a wealth of knowledge on these amazing creatures. The birds' coloring is just as you stated… red and gold. Humanoid phoenixes' wings, however, always match their eye color."

"What traits do they share with the birds," Edward asked as he gently lowered himself to the floor and scooted closer to the little girl. She eyed him warily for almost a full minute before offering him the precious gift of a smile and focusing once more on her creation.

Seemingly stunned by Hera's reaction, Perenelle took a moment to regain her focus and answer the vampire's question. "Well, she will have a natural ability to heal both herself and others. She will eventually be able to travel or 'flash' instantaneously from one place to another. Also, her kind are immortal until they find their mates, and then their life force is tied to their other half."

Emmett frowned in thought. "So… if Edward were killed tomorrow little Hera would die too?" He ignored his brother's sudden glare at the thought of the baby's demise and looked to the Flamels for an answer.

Nicolas chuckled. "Not quite, my boy! Hera's much too young to recognize Edward as her mate. She will feel a pull to him but until she reaches sexual maturity she'll regard young Mr. Cullen as a friend or brother. She instinctively recognizes him as her protector even now, I believe." The old wizard smiled as the toddler tentatively grabbed a block from her mate's outstretched hand. She seemed unsure of what to make of him before reaching forward to stack the new block on top of four others. Her clumsy aim, when coupled with the somewhat lopsided pile proved too much for gravity to ignore and soon they came tumbling down with a clatter.

In perhaps the cutest pout Edward had ever seen, Hera glared at the pile a few seconds before her magic reached out to reform the tower in amazing perfection. Once she realized what had happened, the green-eyed phoenix flinched and started crying, instinctively reaching out to Edward for comfort. He dutifully pulled the baby into his arms and soothed her with calming words as he rubbed her back, knowing from her mind that she had been startled by her own display of accidental magic.

Gazing sadly at the distraught child, Perenelle sighed. "Be sure to support her lower back, Edward dear. She's nearly recovered from a partial paralysis, but I don't want her innate healing magic to have to overcome any obstacles as it finishes the repairs to her body."

She was treated to seven different vampires demanding the reasons behind her shocking revelation. Perenelle and her husband both glared, most likely in remembrance of whatever caused the affliction. Edward tightened his grip on his mate, being extra careful not to jostle her spine as she snuggled against his shoulder and began to fall asleep. He gently rose and retook his seat next to Jasper, never once pausing in rubbing Hera's back.

He just knew he wasn't going to like this story.

Perenelle gazed at the sleeping baby before launching into the heart-breaking tale. "When the Potters made the decision to cut ties with their little girl, they didn't want any knowledge of her to reach the rest of our world. I'm not sure why James and Lily opted against an orphanage, but they had Dumbledore bind Hera's wings and magic, both of which are a source of constant pain, before placing her in a basket on the doorstep of Lily's sister Petunia. All three of them are well aware of the fact that Petunia and that obscene tub of lard she calls a husband have an intense hatred of anything or anyone relating to magic, and therefore were likely to be highly averse to the thought of raising any child born from a witch and wizard.

"Little Hera was placed in a loveless environment when she was less than a month old, and stayed there until we received word of her existence a little under two months ago."

Edward growled softly only due to the sleeping toddler in his arms. "And her injury?"

Nicolas stared off into the distance as if viewing a troubling memory. "She was abused by those monsters." Esme choked on a sob before Carlisle's arms wrapped around her. "When I arrived to check on her living conditions, having long since lost trust in Albus, I found a broken toddler lying at the base of the stairs, which her developing bully of a cousin had pushed her down, much to the delight of the boy's parents. Through a branch of mind magic called 'legilimency', which is nearly identical to Edward's gift, I was able to see just how badly little Hera was treated by her odious relatives.

"What I found were horrors that I wish never to revisit," he said with a shudder of revulsion.

Jasper was working hard to calm his family, mainly Edward who was experiencing an almost homicidal rage.

"Thankfully," the elderly witch continued, "though Hera's magic and wings were bound, Dumbledore could do nothing to contain her healing ability. Perhaps it was this that made them think they'd get away with her abuse, but they were greatly mistaken." She tightened her grip around her teacup.

Carlisle, in a rare display of anger, scowled fiercely. "I trust these beasts have been remanded to the authorities?" The vampire patriarch had long since become desensitized to many things from his centuries of working in the field of medicine, but Edward knew for a fact that he would never become numb in the face of any act of violence towards a child.

"The thought crossed my mind, but the maximum punishment for what the Dursleys did was too mild, and I knew that Hera's speedy healing would bring the child attention she wouldn't be able to handle." The alchemist suddenly blushed. "I'm afraid I went against the law, both magical and mundane, and cursed that man and his wife myself."

The vampires all wore expressions of amusement at the man's sudden sheepish behavior. Emmett said what they were all thinking. "I don't think any of us would be likely to turn you in. I'm just sorry I didn't get to help dispense a little Cullen justice." The brawny vampire cracked his knuckles to emphasize his point as the rest of his family nodded. "So what did you do to them? I hope they're still alive and suffering… death's too good for those monsters."

Nicolas chuckled. "Oh no, they aren't dead. I wanted to do something that would forever have them regretting ever touching that child."

Edward caught a worried thought from Jasper that had his eyes turn black with a potent mixture of fear and rage. Hera was the only reason he didn't completely turn feral. The empathic vampire tensed in preparation should Edward lose control, but soon realized that the part of his brother that was forever mindful of his mate wouldn't allow that to happen while she was in his arms.

Jasper asked the question quickly, hoping the answer was a favorable one that would calm down the telepath faster than his gift ever could. "Was she ever abused… sexually?" Sudden gasps came from Alice, Rosalie, and Esme while Emmett and Carlisle tensed in horror. Everyone looked toward the Flamels in fear, dreading the answer.

Perenelle was quick to allay their fears. "Oh no, sweetheart – thank Merlin. She was never touched in that way!" Every single vampire relaxed in relief, pushing back the headache Jasper could feel forming.

Though Edward was aware from his brother's mind that his eyes were still black, he felt nearly every ounce of tension leave his body. "So what happened to them?"

Nicolas rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. "Well, I don't mean to brag, but I've always been fairly talented at spell creation. I invented a doozy of a spell just for this occasion that… well, let's just say that the Dursleys will find themselves with the most horrible case of bad luck you could ever imagine."

Carlisle looked at his old friend in undisguised curiosity. "Bad luck? How bad?"

"Well… little things like disappearing mortgage payments, constant automobile break downs, inability to hold down jobs, insect infestations and plumbing mishaps that follow them no matter where they move, and various other misfortunes. Of course that's not a good environment to raise a child, (nor are they fit to regardless of my curse), so I ensured their son was taken from them where he will hopefully grow up well adjusted."

Everyone stared at him in awe.

"Also, Nelle was worried about future children these beasts might conceive so I took it upon myself to ensure that neither one of them would ever again be able to procreate."

Silence filled the room until Emmett broke it by letting out a booming laugh that startled Hera awake. She instinctively clutched handfuls of Edward's shirt before relaxing and looking around in interest. The tawny-haired vampire smiled at her curiosity and gently turned her around to face the gentle smiles of his family.

Esme crouched in front of the little girl. "Did you have a nice nap, sweetheart?"

Green eyes wide with nervousness, Hera slipped her thumb in her mouth and leaned backwards into her protector. Edward ran his fingers through her silky hair in reassurance. Though his vampire felt smug that his mate took to him so quickly, he wanted the baby to feel comfortable around his family. "It's okay, little one. This is my mother, Esme. She's very nice and would never hurt you."

Esme never lost the smile even though Edward could read from her thoughts that she was a little saddened that Hera was scared of the gentle vampire. "That's right, Hera. I would never ever hurt you, and neither would anyone in this room. Would you like to meet everyone?"

It took the phoenix a moment of thought followed by a cautious look at Edward before she nodded, prompting happy smiles all around. "Well love," Esme began, "the one holding you is Edward, that big teddy bear right there is Emmett, the pretty blonde lady beside him is Rosalie, and the handsome man on the end is Carlisle." She shifted so that Hera could see the others. "The dark-haired bubbly girl on the end of this couch is Alice, and the blond man with the cute dimples beside you is Jasper."

As each name was called out the little girl was given a small wave, which she returned with a small smile of her own. After the introductions she soon fell back asleep.

Carlisle smiled softly at the child snuggled in his son's arms before again addressing the Flamels. "I hope you don't mind frequent visitors, my friends, because I doubt that Edward will be able to go too long without ensuring the safety of his mate."

Nicolas glanced at his wife before responding. "Actually, Carlisle, that's why we asked you to come. Nelle and I have found ourselves growing weary of continuing this endless existence as of late. We've decided to stop taking the elixir, after we get our affairs in order, and move on to be with our family in the hereafter." He ignored the vampires' saddened visages and pressed on. "We made this decision before she came into our lives, but our feelings on the matter haven't changed. I'm afraid humans just are not built to live so long and we're both tired of enduring the constant aches of bones and joints long since passed their lifespan. It would be unfair to Hera to raise her as our own, knowing we're likely going to be moving on before she reaches her age of majority, so we were hoping you and your family would be willing to adopt her. I must say, finding out she's Edward's mate was a bonus we weren't counting on."

Everyone was silent for a moment before the vampire patriarch nodded his head, not even needing to consult with his wife and children. "We would be more than happy to welcome little Hera into our home… she already became a member of our family the moment Edward recognized her as his mate. I am greatly saddened to hear that we're going to be losing you both, however, I swear to you that we will do everything in our power to ensure she grows up healthy and happy."

Nicolas chuckled at their expressions of sadness. "Oh come now, my friends… don't look so miserable. We're not planning on shuffling off this mortal coil tomorrow! I said we'd wait until we got our affairs in order, and beings as old and set in our ways as us have a lot of affairs."

Perenelle smiled and squeezed Esme's hand. "Plus we also plan to get to know this little phoenix a bit better before we leave. All of our family died out years ago and, call me selfish, but I'd hate to leave without making some kind of impression on Hera."

Carlisle took an unneeded breath and nodded. "It would indeed be a shame if she were robbed of your stunning influence, Nelle." He laughed as Perenelle blushed and Nicolas jokingly threatened him for flirting with his wife.

"What about her wings and magic?" Everyone looked to Emmett when he voiced the question. "It's not that I don't want her with us," he said quickly to appease Edward's warning glare, "I was just wondering how we would hide her phoenix traits around the humans."

Rosalie grabbed her mate's hand. "That's true. We couldn't possibly keep her inside and hidden all the time… that's no life for a child. And, as vampires, we're not currently welcome to live amongst wizards."

"Actually, I've already found a solution," Nicolas paused when he received a glare from his wife. "We… I meant **we've** found a solution!" He grinned sheepishly then grabbed a tiny box from the corner desk's top drawer. After opening the box he pulled out a white gold necklace which had a pendant shaped like a phoenix in flight. Carefully, and with Edward's help, the alchemist fastened the chain around Hera's neck. No sooner than he did, her gorgeous wings vanished.

Edward gasped, then tried to see if he could still feel the wings, but his fingers only met the soft cotton of Hera's shirt. He was slightly distraught at their disappearance, but at the same time understood the necessity of the change. "Doesn't this hurt her? You said binding her wings hurts!"

"No, child… we didn't bind her wings," Perenelle insisted. "Phoenixes, once they gain more control of their magic, are quite capable of hiding their wings. The charmed pendant contains a sequence of runes on the back that was developed by Hera's race to painlessly keep their young's wings hidden for times when they had to mingle with humans. It also dampens her magic, but won't suppress it completely. Basically, she will only be able to access her powers in times of dire need."

Emmett scratched the top of his head. "Where did her wings go?"

"Her wings are still there, but the magic keeps you from being able to see or feel them," Nicolas continued. "The pendant is unbreakable, and spelled to only be removed or seen by those who know of its function." He unclasped the necklace and the emerald feathers were visible once more. "It's imperative that you only use the necklace around humans. Hera will never learn to control her magic if it's hidden from her for too long… there might possibly be developmental concerns as well."

Perenelle smiled at her guests. "She should be fine going to school with the humans as long as she can let her wings down, so to speak, when she gets home."

Edward grabbed the box handed to him by the alchemist containing the necklace.

Seven vegetarian vampires raising an abandoned phoenix… Edward couldn't help but wonder how this future would play out. Looking at his tiny mate, he knew one thing for certain – he would treasure every second.

* * *

This concludes the first story of the Phoenix Rising series. The stories are not all one-shots, but I wanted "First Meeting" to be nothing more than a brief introduction. Please send me a review if you're interested in seeing more.

Thanks for reading!


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